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<P ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><FONT SIZE=5><U>Faith &amp;
Leadership (Day 1)</U></FONT></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">For every Christian, the primary
goal is not to lead, but to follow (Luke 9:23, Matthew 20:16).  Our
following Christ is an indispensible prerequisite for leading others
or leading in any ministry where Christ is to be the center.  We must
look outside of ourselves and our own ideas to the Godhead, and seek
the purposes of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Even
Jesus, though God incarnate, did not look to His own will for
guidance, but submitted to that of His Father (John 5:19).</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">We must be open to God’s will, and
have the faith to trust Him.  Perhaps the worst thing that could
happen to us as a ministry this weekend would be for us to come up
with all sorts of decisions, plans and ideas ourselves rather than
trusting God to be the leader of this ministry and committing
ourselves as His faithful followers.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Read Hebrews 3:7-19</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><I>	So, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did
in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where
your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. 
That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their
hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 
So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my
rest.’”</I></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><I>	See to it, brothers, that none
of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the
living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called
Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 
We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the
confidence we had at first.  As has just been said:  “Today, if you
hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the
rebellion.”</I></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><I>	Who were they who heard and
rebelled?  Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?  And with
whom was he angry for forty years?  Was it not with those who sinned,
whose bodies fell in the desert?  And to whom did God swear that they
would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?  So we see
that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.</I></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Ponder with me on the value and
nature of faith.  Let us ask these three questions:</P>
<OL>
	<LI><P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">What is faith?</P>
	<LI><P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">Where does
	faith come from?</P>
	<LI><P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">What does faith
	do?</P>
</OL>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><B>1.  What is faith?</B></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Hebrews 11:1</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><I>Now faith is being sure of what
we hope for and certain of what we do not see.</I></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Think about your faith in God, His
word, and His promises.  Ask yourself,</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Am I sure?</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Am I certain, even though I don’t
see?</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">What holds you back from believing?</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Meditate on this acronym for faith.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><B>F</B>orsaking</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><B>A</B>ll</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><B>I</B></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><B>T</B>rust</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><B>H</B>im</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Whatever holds you back from
believing must be forsaken.  Trust in Jesus with all your heart
(Proverbs 3:5-6).</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">The Bible says that unbelief is a
sin (Hebrews 3:12).  If there is any unbelief in you, confess it as a
sin and repent.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><B>2.  Where does faith come from?</B></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Romans 10:17</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><I>Consequently, faith comes from
hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of
Christ.</I></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">In order for us to have faith, we
must hear from God.  We hear from God in a number of ways but the
important thing is that we listen.  Often we forget to or choose not
to listen, either because of apathy or a rebellious heart.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">What has God been saying to you? 
Are you listening to everything He has to say?</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">If you find that you are not, take
this time now to confess that as a sin and repent.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><B>3.  What does faith do?</B></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Ephesians 2:8</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><I>For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith and this not from yourselves—it is the gift of
God</I></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Faith is an integral part of our
salvation.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Hebrews 11:6</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><I>And without faith, it is
impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must
believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek
him.</I></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Our faith pleases God, and allows us
to come and be with Him.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">James 2:22</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><I>You see that his Faith and his
actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by
what he did.</I></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Faith works together and is made
complete with actions.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Matthew 13:58</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><I>And</I> [Jesus]<I> did not do
many miracles there because of the lack of faith.</I></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Our faith invokes the supernatural
power of God (James 1:6, John 14:12).</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">1 John 5:4b</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><I>This is the victory that has
overcome the world, even our faith.</I></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Our faith overcomes the world.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">All of these things make faith
critical to us individually, and to our ministry.  May God give us
grace that we might have complete, unashamed faith in Him, as He in
turn entrusts us with His ministry.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><FONT SIZE=4 STYLE="font-size: 16pt"><U>Servanthood
(Day 2)</U></FONT></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Jesus teaches several times on how
the kingdom of heaven is an “upside down kingdom.” Jesus, fully
God, came to humbly serve and offer himself.  We who follow Jesus
should long to be marked by humility as well. And with Jesus as our
guide, our aim should not be to avoid the <I>accusation</I> of
arrogance (that’s out of our control), but to avoid the <I>reality</I>
of arrogance in our own lives. This not only takes a profound work of
the Holy Spirit but also requires that we remember who we are and
whose we are. We don’t rise into positions of leadership for power
or prestige, but rather to offer ourselves as living sacrifices.
Let’s take a look together at a few times when Jesus described
greatness in the kingdom. 
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Read: Matthew 20:1-28, Mark 10:35-45</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Questions to meditate on:</P>
<UL>
	<LI><P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">You have been called into a
	position of leadership in Navigators. Biblically, what does this
	look like?</P>
	<LI><P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Is there a temptation to feel
	prideful in this leadership role? Pray about it and ask God to fill
	you with the kingdom spirit of service.</P>
	<LI><P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Are you ever like the workers
	who were hired first? Do you ever struggle with feeling entitled? Or
	almost frustrated with God’s great compassion and generosity?</P>
</UL>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">In thinking about how we have been
called to humbly serve, consider Jesus’ words in Luke 17.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Read: Luke 17:7-10</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Meditate on verse 10: “So you
also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are
unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”’</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">The word for servants (or in some
translations slaves) is the Greek work doulos. It means bondservant
or one who is devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own
interests. We <I>are</I> unworthy servants. God owes us nothing and
we owe him everything, even our very lives, and in recognizing this
we respond by offering everything. 
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">As we prepare for this weekend,
consider the life of Jesus “Who, being in very nature God, did not
consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself
nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human
likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” 
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><FONT SIZE=5><U>The
Vision of the Cross (Day 3)</U></FONT></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">A few months ago, I was praying
about the future of the Georgia Tech Navigators and the LORD gave me
a vision.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Though my eyes were closed, I saw
that it was a dark night, with only a faint glimmer of light.  I
looked up, and in the faint white light I saw the cross, the place
where Jesus has died so that our sins might be forgiven.  Then I
looked up further and saw the source of the light that made the cross
visible.  It was the moon.  However, it was not shaped like the moon
we think of, but like the Navigator sail.<IMG SRC="Devos_SLT_html_c142ae4.png" ALIGN=LEFT HSPACE=12 WIDTH=117 HEIGHT=117 BORDER=0></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">This is the vision that I believe
God has called us to: to shine His light on His cross for His glory. 
Every other mission we assign ourselves to must be subject to this
greater mission.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Read the following passage several
times.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Colossians 1:15-20</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><I>He is the image of the invisible
God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by him all things were
created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were
created by him and for him.  He is before all things and in him all
things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church; he
is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in
everything he might have the supremacy.  For God was pleased to have
all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to
himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by
making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.</I></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">What good will it do for us to</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">				memorize scripture</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">				lead Bible study</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">				do 1-on-1 discipleship</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">				have quiet times</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">				lead worship</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">				hold prayer meetings</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">				plan NavNite</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">				host socials</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">				and lead this ministry</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">				(all wonderful things)</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">						if no light is shed on Christ?</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">It must be our desire that God uses
our lives and the things we do to shed light on His Son, that we may
both know Him and make Him known.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Our ability to know Him and make Him
known is dependent on one thing: the cross.  We dare not go to God or
teach others to go to God based on any other merit.  We must
acknowledge our own weakness and rely on God’s strength.  After
all, the moon has no light of its own, but only reflects the sun.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">1 Corinthians 2:1-3</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><I>When I came to you, brothers, I
did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you
the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was
with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  I came to you in
weakness and fear, and with much trembling.</I></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">When Paul surrendered his own
strength to God’s by only knowing Christ crucified, the church of
Corinth was born.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">In Acts 17, Paul <U>did</U> attempt
to use <I>eloquence</I> and <I>superior wisdom</I> when speaking to
the Athenians.  He even quotes one of their poets and makes reference
to one of their statues.  We see that Paul has only a little success
in Athens.  But in Acts 18 in Corinth, where Paul resolved to know
nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified, the LORD produced through
him a great harvest.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">I believe the same will be true of
us.  God will work through us to the extent that we surrender our
wisdom and strength to His.  Let us focus our minds, our lives, our
love, and our ministry on Jesus Christ and His cross.</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><BR><BR>
</P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in"><A NAME="_GoBack"></A><FONT SIZE=4 STYLE="font-size: 16pt"><U>Humility
(Day 4)</U></FONT></P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Yesterday we focused servanthood and
life we are called to. We saw that a big component of service is
considering ourselves unworthy. However, we must also stop and
consider how we view others. Servanthood is dictated both by how we
view ourselves and also how we view others (while, of course, keeping
our eyes focused on Christ). 
</P>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Read: Philippians 2</P>
<UL>
	<LI><P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">One of the keys to this radical
	living is found in verse 3 where it says to “count others more
	significant than yourselves”. What does this look like? How does
	your view of others dictate your willingness to serve them?</P>
	<LI><P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Consider the weight of Paul’s
	challenge in verse 4 – “Let each of you look not only to his own
	interests, but also to the interests of others.” This is contrary
	to our flesh and the ways of the world, but this is what we have
	been called to.k</P>
</UL>
<P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Four examples of Jesus’ mindset
(as pointed out by Piper):</P>
<OL>
	<LI><P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Jesus: verses 5-9. If you ever
	struggle with humility or self-denial or serving those who are hard
	to love, think on this picture of Christ. This is what he did for
	you. He is the great example of verse 4: “Let each of you look not
	only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
	This is what he did when he came to die in your place.</P>
	<LI><P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Paul: verses 17-18. Paul
	compared his life to a drink offering and was willing to deny
	himself for their sake.</P>
	<LI><P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Timothy: verses 19-22. “For
	everyone looks out for his own interests” but Paul had “no one
	like Timothy.” Timothy emulates Christ in that he is concerned for
	the Philippian’s welfare (putting the interests of Christ above
	his own).</P>
	<LI><P STYLE="margin-bottom: 0.14in">Epaphroditus: verses 25-30.
	Epaphroditus is an example of Christ-like love. He has been longing
	for the Philippians, eager to share with them how the Lord had
	spared him from his illness.</P>
</OL>
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